Pesto Pasta Potatoes Recipes

Steps:

• Make pesto: In the bowl of food processor, add basil, pine nuts, salt and garlic. Pulse until mixture is coarse and grainy. With the motor running, add oil in slow, steady stream. Add cheese; process just enough to mix well. If sauce is too dry, add a little more oil. Taste; add more cheese or salt, if desired.
• Bring 6 quarts water to rolling boil. Add at least 2 tablespoons salt and the potato slices. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until potatoes have started to soften but are not cooked through. Add green beans, and continue boiling another 5 minutes.
• Add pasta, and stir. Start testing pasta at 5 minutes. When it is done, and when potatoes and beans are tender, drain and turn pasta and vegetables immediately into preheated bowl. Add pesto, and mix thoroughly. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Place potatoes in a large pot of water; bring to a boil.
• Add salt and cavatappi or other short tubular pasta; return to a boil; cook 2 minutes.
• Add green beans. Return to a boil; cook until vegetables are tender and pasta is al dente, about 6 minutes.
• Drain; toss with pesto; season with salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Steps:

• Cook the fusilli and bow ties separately in a large pot of boiling salted water for 10 to 12 minutes until each pasta is al dente. Drain and toss into a bowl with the olive oil. Cool to room temperature.
• In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, puree the pesto, spinach, and lemon juice. Add the mayonnaise and puree. Add the pesto mixture to the cooled pasta and then add the Parmesan, peas, pignoli, salt, and pepper. Mix well, season to taste, and serve at room temperature.
• Place the walnuts, pignoli, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process for 15 seconds. Add the basil leaves, salt, and pepper. With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil into the bowl through the feed tube and process until the pesto is thoroughly pureed. Add the Parmesan and puree for a minute. Use right away or store the pesto in the refrigerator or freezer with a thin film of olive oil on top.
• Notes: Air is the enemy of pesto. For freezing, pack it in containers with a film of oil or plastic wrap directly on top with the air pressed out.
• To clean basil, remove the leaves, swirl them in a bowl of water, and then spin them very dry in a salad spinner. Store them in a closed plastic bag with a slightly damp paper towel. As long as the leaves are dry they will stay green for several days.

Steps:

• Peel and cut the potatoes into 1-inch cubes; place in a large pot of water and bring to a boil.
• Add 1 tablespoon salt and the cavatappi; return to a boil and cook for 2 minutes.
• Add the green beans. Return to a boil; cook until the vegetables are tender and the pasta is al dente according to package instructions.
• Drain; toss with the pesto and season with salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Steps:

• Cook potatoes in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 10 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer potatoes to cutting board; return water to boil. Add broccoli; cook 3 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer broccoli to large bowl; return water to boil. Add linguine and cook until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup cooking water. Cut potatoes into small chunks. Add potatoes, pasta, and pesto to broccoli and toss, adding reserved cooking water by tablespoonfuls to moisten if necessary. Season with salt and pepper. Serve, passing cheese separately.

Steps:

• If making fresh pasta, beat the eggs together in a large bowl. Gradually stir in enough flour to make a soft, pliable dough. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Shape it into a ball, cover with a damp towel and let rest for 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, to make the sauce, place the garlic, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 cup of basil in a food processor and pulse until chopped. Add the remaining basil and process until chopped. Add the pine nuts, cheeses and olive oil and process until the mixture forms a smooth paste. Set aside.
• Place the potatoes in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Simmer over medium heat until tender, about 10 to 12 minutes. Drain and set aside. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the broccoli and blanch until tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain and set aside.
• Divide the pasta dough in half and keep 1 piece wrapped in the towel. On a lightly floured surface, roll and stretch the pasta dough into a 13-by-16-inch rectangle. Let stand for 5 minutes. Cut across into 1-inch-wide strips. Repeat with the remaining dough. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the fresh or dried pasta until al dente, about 5 minutes for the fresh or 10 to 12 minutes for dried. Drain well and place in a large bowl.
• Toss the pasta with the pesto and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Toss in the broccoli and potatoes. Divide among 4 plates and serve.

Steps:

• KIDS: the writing in bold is for you. GROWN-UPS: the rest is for you. Pick the basil for the pesto. Get your child to pick the basil leaves off the stalks. Ask them to look at and smell the leaves as you tell them the name of the herb until they remember it - try to do this with all herbs when you can.
• Make the pesto. Toast the pine nuts in a pan over a low heat. A child of seven years plus can stir the nuts in the pan. Tip into a mini chopper (or use a pestle and mortar) with the basil, parmesan, garlic and olive oil. Blitz or pound into a green sauce, then set aside.
• Chop up the beans. Using a child-friendly knife, get children from the age of five to chop the green beans into shorter lengths, and quarter the potatoes. Younger children can snap the beans into short lengths while you prepare the potatoes.
• Cook the vegetables and pasta. Bring a large pan of water to the boil, add the potatoes and boil for 3 mins. Remove from the heat and ask the child to tip in the pasta and give it a stir. Put the pan back on the heat, boil the pasta for 5 mins, add the beans and cook for a final 3 mins.
• Mix everything together. Drain everything well and tip into a bowl. Spoon most of the pesto into the pasta and stir everything together to coat. Bring the large bowl of pasta to the table and serve with extra parmesan, more basil and remaining pesto, if you like.